ai4bharat/Pralekha huggingface dataset:
Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution
Centre issues guidelines to Ensure Safety in Transportation of Dangerous Goods
The guildelines to set a new benchmark for the safe handling and transportation of hazardous materials across the country
The Bureau of Indian Standards , the National Standards Body of India, has recently published new guidelines aimed at enhancing safety in the transportation of dangerous goods.
The guidelines, known as ‘IS 18149:2023 - Transportation of Dangerous Goods — Guidelines’, have been formulated under the Transport Services Sectional Committee, SSD 01, of BIS, and are expected to set a new benchmark for the safe handling and transportation of hazardous materials across the country.
With the aim of standardizing the transportation practices, the BIS guidelines will help ensure that hazardous goods are transported in a safe and secure manner, reducing the risk of accidents and potential harm to people and the environment.
Dangerous goods are substances and articles that have explosive, flammable, toxic, infectious or corrosive properties and pose a risk to public safety, property and the environment. The transportation of these goods involves the implementation of adequate measures to ensure their transit in total security and safety.
While the transportation of hazardous goods may be by land, sea, waterways, rail or even by air, the sensitivity and risk factors involved in the process require specific precautions to be taken. These include meticulous packaging and conditioning, specific handling operations during transportation and training and development for persons engaged in transportation and handling of this category of goods.
Further, the IS 18149:2023, provides guidelines on classification, packaging, labelling and marking, handling, documentation, role of stakeholders, training, transportation, emergency action and provisions for segregation. The dangerous goods referred in the standard include explosives, gases, flammable liquids, flammable solids, oxidizing substances and organic peroxides, poisonous and infectious substances, radioactive substances, corrosive substances and other miscellaneous dangerous substances.
This standard is formulated to provide guidelines for all the stakeholders including vehicle owner’s/transport agencies, contractors, consignors, consignees, operators and drivers carrying dangerous goods/substances for the safe transportation of dangerous goods.
Ministry of Agriculture &
Farmers Welfare
Kharif crops sown on 1082.22 lakh ha area till now; increase in area coverage by 7.15% compared to corresponding period of last year
(There has been satisfactory progress of sowing area coverage under Kharif crops, the status of which is given as under:
Sowing Area Coverage of Kharif Crops : as on 28.08.2020, the total Kharif crops has been sown on 1082.22 lakh ha area against 1009.98 lakh ha area during the corresponding period of last year, thus, increase in area coverage by 7.15% compared to corresponding period of last year in the country. The crop wise area sown is as under:
- Rice: About 389.81 lakh ha area coverage under rice as compared to 354.41 lakh ha. during the corresponding period of last year. Thus 35.40 lakh ha more area has been covered compared to last year.
- Pulses: About 134.57 lakh ha area coverage under pulses as compared to 128.65 lakh ha. during the corresponding period of last year. Thus 5.91 lakh ha more area has been covered compared to last year.
- Coarse Cereals: About 176.89 lakh ha area coverage under coarse cereals as compared to 172.49 lakh ha. during the corresponding period of last year. Thus 4.40 lakh ha more area has been covered compared to last year.
- Oilseeds: About 193.29 lakh ha area coverage under oilseeds as compared to 170.99 lakh ha. during the corresponding period of last year. Thus 22.30 lakh ha more area has been covered compared to last year.
- Sugarcane: About 52.29 lakh ha area coverage under sugarcane as compared to 51.68 lakh ha. during the corresponding period of last year. Thus 0.61 lakh ha more area has been covered compared to last year.
- Jute & Mesta: About 6.97 lakh ha area coverage under jute & mesta as compared to 6.86 lakh ha. during the corresponding period of last year. Thus 0.11 lakh ha more area has been covered compared to last year.
- Cotton: About 128.41 lakh ha area coverage under cotton as compared to 124.90 lakh ha. during the corresponding period of last year. Thus 3.50 lakh ha more area has been covered compared to last year.
Central Water Commission  has reported that the live water storage in 123 reservoirs in different parts of the country is 102% of the corresponding period of the last year.
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Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs 
New BG Electrified Line of 294.53 route Kms from Katghora to Dongargarh will provide rail connectivity to unserved areas of Chhattisgarh
Korba, Bilaspur, Mungeli, Kabirdham and Rajnandgaon districts of Chhattisgarh will be benefitted
Estimated cost of project is Rs. 5950.47 crore with equity participation of Ministry of Railways and Government of Chhattisgarh
First project of its kind and magnitude to be undertaken through State Joint Venture route
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved the following:-
- The New Broad Gauge Electrified Line of 294.53 route Kms from Katghora to Dongargarh will provide rail connectivity to unserved areas of Chhattishgarh, opening them up for industrial development through movement of freight to the busy Jharsuguda-Nagpur section of Howrah Mumbai route by avoiding busy yards of Bilaspur, Champa and Durg stations.
- The Korba, Bilaspur, Mungeli, Kabirdham and Rajnandgaon districts of Chhattisgarh will be benefitted by this new rail line.
- Estimated cost of this project is Rs. 5950.47 crore to be implemented by a Project SPV namely Chhattisgarh Katghora-Dongarhgarh Railway Limited with equity participation of Ministry of Railways and Government of Chhattisgarh through Chhattisgarh Railway Corporation Ltd  and private stakeholders.
With opening up of Raigarh District  to coal mining, it is expected that South Eastern Coalfields Ltd. and various end use miners will increase coal mining in Chhattisgarh State from the present 150MTPA to 250MTPA in near future. This project will reduce congestion on the existing Jharsuguda-Nagpur route which has more than 135% average utilization as on 2014-15. This will add nearly 30-35 MTPA capacity to system of Indian Railways which is nearly 3% of its present output. This project will also provide a faster dedicated route to west bound traffic of SECR, serve unserved areas of the State of Chhattisgarh and facilitate setting up of industry along the route. This is the first project of its kind and magnitude to be undertaken through the State Joint Venture route.
Background:
Chhattisgarh Railway Corporation Ltd.  is a Joint Venture between Ministry of Railways  and Chhattisgarh Government on 49:51 basis in the form of a company under the Companies Act 2013 for jointly identifying, mobilizing resources and monitoring of the Railway Projects in various States. Accordingly, CRCL has prepared a Detailed Project Report for a new single electrified railway line between existing Dongargarh Station on Nagpur-Raipur route and Katghora, a station on the under execution section from Gevra Road-Pendra Road.
Prime Minister's Office
IRS Officer Trainees call on the PM
168 Officer Trainees of the Indian Revenue Service , today called on the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi.
The Officer Trainees interacted with the Prime Minister on a range of subjects, including the recent Union Budget, increasing the taxpayer base, and themes such as innovation and technology.
He exhorted the Officer Trainees to work towards meeting the aspirations of the people.
Ministry of Finance
DRI seizes more than 100 Kg of psychotropic substance purported to be Methaqualone at Pune
: Mumbai/Pune, August 25, 2023
Based on intelligence inputs, the officers of Department of Revenue Intelligence , Pune Regional Unit, Pune intercepted one Maruti Suzuki Swift Dezire Car having Telangana registration, at Pune on Tuesday . During detailed examination of the vehicle, it was found that it was carrying four blue coloured plastic containers containing white crystalline material. Primary field tests indicated the substance to be Methaqualone, a psychotropic substance under the provisions of the NDPS Act, 1985. Hence, the vehicle along with 101.31 Kg of the stated substance, purported to be Methaqualone, having an illicit value of Rs. 50.65 Crores , has been seized by the DRI under the provisions of the NDPS Act, 1985.
Five persons, who are residents of Telangana, Maharashtra, Delhi and Haryana have been arrested under the provisions of the NDPS Act, 1985, in connection with the case. Preliminary investigations indicate that the arrested persons were engaged in illegal sale and/or purchase, transportation and export of psychotropic substances and the cartel may be spread in multiple states of India and may also have overseas connections. Further investigation in this case is in progress.
The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence is a premier agency which combats import export frauds, besides doing anti-smuggling and anti-narcotics work.
Ministry of Home Affairs
NDMA and Ministry of Jal Shakti conduct workshop on Management of Floods
National Disaster Management Authority  in collaboration with Ministry of Jal Shakti conducted a national-level workshop on the Management of Floods: Reservoir Management, in New Delhi today.
Reservoirs store large volumes of water and play an important role in meeting irrigation, hydropower generation and other water needs of communities living in their vicinity. They are one of the most important structural measures for reducing the impact of floods, and their well thought-out operationalization is a pre-requisite to minimizing the frequency, duration and impact of floods in downstream areas.
Speaking on the occasion, Shri G. V. V. Sarma, Member Secretary, NDMA, referred to NDMA Guidelines of 2008 and 2010, which elaborated a number of action points by various agencies and State governments. He urged all stakeholder agencies and State governments to coordinate their efforts towards improved reservoir management in the country. He also called upon State Governments and agencies responsible for management of reservoirs to correlate the rainfall prediction data with 'Rule Curve' data for operationalizing dams.
Shri Upendra Prasad Singh, Secretary, Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation emphasized the need for judicious operationalization of dams by State authorities based on the data provided by India Meteorological Department  and Central Water Commission . He agreed with the need to revisit the Rule Curves and requested all the State governments to undertake the task on priority. “There is a need to revisit our policies as the changing climate has posed new challenges,” he said. He also stressed the need to have proper dissemination of flood-related alerts and transparency in reservoir operations.
To set the tone of the workshop, NDMA made a presentation highlighting the progress made so far, key issues and challenges, and the way forward for improving our management of reservoirs for better flood control.
Stakeholders discussed a range of issues pertaining to better management of reservoirs and the role of rainfall prediction, flood forecasting and early warning and wide dissemination of advisories and alerts. The need to manage gaps in reservoir operations and to remove encroachments on flood plains were also highlighted. State governments presented case studies on the management of dams.
It was decided to work towards an operational mechanism that would ensure timely exchange of information among all stakeholders so that reservoir operation during floods can be better regulated, based on advanced forecasting techniques.
NDMA Members and officials, senior officials from IMD, CWC, National Remote Sensing Centre , National Disaster Response Force , representatives of State Governments and representatives of the civil society participated in the event.
Ministry of Commerce & Industry
Incentives to Promote Industrial Development in J&K and Ladakh: Piyush Goyal
GI Tagging to More Products of Both Union Territories: Piyush Goyal
The Government is working on schemes that will offer significant incentives to promote industrial development in the Union Territories  of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh said Union Minister of Commerce and Industry & Railways, Piyush Goyal, in New Delhi today.
Piyush Goyal was speaking at a conclave on Kashmironomics held to discuss about the strategy for the economic development of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh. The forum was addressed by Commerce and Industry & Railways Minister and Smriti Zubin Irani, Union Minister of Women and Child Development and Textiles. Representatives of industry, civil society, economists and government officials were present at the conclave.
Commerce and Industry & Railways Minister said that the Ministry is formulating a plan for setting up more inland container depots, trade development centres, modern institutes of eminence and registering more products of the region with the GI tag.
Piyush Goyal further said that railways projects that are being implemented will make both UTs among the most developed region in the next ten years. The sectors that hold great promise and that are still untapped are tourism, food processing, hydro and solar power said Piyush Goyal. He added that these sectors have the possibility of ensuring sustainable and balanced development in Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakhand will bringlong term and balanced development to the different parts of the region, reaching even the remotest corners the Minister added.
Commerce and Industry Minister further said that the world knows about the beauty of Jammu & Kashmir and tourism has the potential to becomeone of the biggest revenue earners for the local people of the region.He further said that the prosperity of the region and the people that had been held back for so many years will now be addressed as all Government Departments, public and private sector and non-governmental organizations come together to integrate Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh to the rest of the country.
Prime Minister's Office
PM lauds GST on its completion of 4 years
It has been a milestone in the economic landscape of India says PM
The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has lauded GST on its completion of 4 years and said it has been a milestone in the economic landscape of India.
In a tweet, the Prime Minister said, "GST has been a milestone in the economic landscape of India. It has decreased the number of taxes, compliance burden & overall tax burden on common man while significantly increasing transparency, compliance and overall collection. #4YearsofGST"
Ministry of Defence
Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh interacts with Indian community in New York ahead of India-US 2+2 dialogue
Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh arrived in New York today on his way to Washington for the 2+2 dialogue between the Defence and External Affairs Ministers of India and their United States counterparts. In New York, Raksha Mantri attended a reception for the Indian Community and Friends of India organised by the Consulate General of India at the Asia Society.
Addressing the gathering, Shri Rajnath Singh spoke about the importance and contribution of the Indian American Community and their role in the success of ‘Howdy Modi’ event organised during the visit of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi in Houston earlier this year. He also spoke on the abrogation of Article 370, recent amendment to Citizenship Act and the importance of friendly relations with neighbours.
Raksha Mantri interacted with the Indian community and answered questions at length, including on India-US relations and the Indian economy.
The 2+2 dialogue will be held on December 18, 2019.
ABB/Nampi/DK/Savvy/MTJ/ADA
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Prime Minister's Office
PM meets leaders of global automotive companies
The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, today,held one on one meeting, with the leaders of various automotive and transportation companies from all over the world, in New Delhi.
Top leveldelegation from various companies like Toyota, SAIC Motor Corporation Shanghai, Bosch, ABB Ltd, Hyundai Motor Company, Ford Smart Mobility LLC and Uber Aviation met the Prime Minister.
These companies are participating in the Global Mobility Summit- MOVE, being held in New Delhi.
Prime Minister's Office
PM to address the conference on ‘Creating Synergies for Seamless Credit Flow and Economic Growth’ on 18th November
Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi will address the concluding session of the conference on ‘Creating Synergies for Seamless Credit Flow and Economic Growth’ on 18th November 2021 at 12 noon at The Ashok Hotel, New Delhi.
The conference is being organised by the Financial Services Department of the Finance Ministry on 17th-18th November 2021. It will witness participation from Ministries, Banks, Financial institutions and Industry representatives.
Union Finance Minister will also be present on the occasion.
Ministry of Agriculture &
Farmers Welfare
Remunerative Prices for Paddy Farmers
The procurement of paddy at Minimum Support Price  is done through Food Corporation of India  and State Agencies. During Kharif Marketing Season  2020-21, on MSP procurement of paddy, all time high 128.36 lakh farmers  benefitted so far as against 124.59 lakh farmers last year. Similarly, due to MSP procurement in Rabi Marketing Season  2021-22, record 49.14 lakh farmers benefitted against 43.35 lakh last year.
There exists a transparent & uniform policy for MSP procurement of Food grains including paddy by Government agencies across the country. Under this policy, whatever food grains are offered by farmers within the stipulated procurement period, conforming to the specifications prescribed are purchased at MSP by the Government agencies including FCI. However, if any farmers/ producer get better price in comparison to MSP, they are free to sell his produce in open market.
The Minimum Support Price is announced by the Government at the beginning of the sowing season of crops on the basis of the recommendations of the Commission for Agricultural Cost s and Prices . This enables the farmer to take informed decision with regard to choice of crop to be grown.
MSP operations are given wide publicity through pamphlets, banners, sign boards radio, TV and advertisements though print & electronic media. Farmers are made aware of the quality specifications and purchase system etc. to facilitate the farmers to bring their produce conforming to the specifications. Large number of procurement centres are opened by respective State Government agencies/FCI taking into account the production, marketable surplus, convenience of farmers and availability of other logistics/infrastructure such as storage and transportation etc. Large number of temporary purchase centres in addition to the existing Mandis and depots/godowns are also established at key point for the convenience of the farmers.
This information was given in a written reply by the Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Shri Narendra Singh Tomar in Lok Sabha today.
Prime Minister's Office
PM to witness the final descent of Chandrayaan 2
Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi will be visiting the ISRO Headquarters at Bengaluru to witness the final descent of Chandrayaan 2 on to the Lunar South Pole on the 7th September 2019.
He will also be interacting with the winners of the Space Quiz conducted for students of Class 8th to 10th across India. during the event.
As a Prime Minister who has a deep appreciation of Science and its achievements, Shri Modi’s visit to ISRO would be a boost to the morale of the Indian Space Scientists and an inspiration to the young to develop an innovative mind and inquiring spirit.
Showing his personal interest in the Chandrayaan 2 Mission, Mr Modi termed it as “Indian at heart, Indian in spirit! What would make every Indian overjoyed is the fact that is a fully indigenous mission.”
ISRO in a statement said “the lander Vikram is scheduled to powered descent between 0100 to 0200 hrs IST on September 07, 2019, which is then followed by touch down of Lander between 0130 to 0230 hrs IST.”
The final descent of Chandrayaan 2 will be livestreamed on https://www.facebook.com/pibindia as well as on https://twitter.com/PIB_India
Ministry of Power
NTPC inaugurates PSA Oxygen Plants
The PSA Oxygen Plant at NTPC Dadri and NTPC Bogaingaon have been inaugurated today.
This inaugurations were done as per the guidelines from MOP and in series of dedication of PSA Oxygen Plant in each state and UT to Nation, funded by PM CARES by Hon’ble Prime Minister through virtual inauguration from AIIMS Rishikesh.
The PSA Oxygen Plant at NTPC Dadri was inaugurated by the Chief Guest Shri B Srinivasa Rao, CGM NTPC Dadri on October 07,2021.The virtual inauguration and address by Hon’ble Prime Minister was also witnessed by Shri B.Srinivasa Rao,CGM with senior officials and employees.
In NTPC Dadri Oxygen plant, there are two plants of capacity 5 m³ per hour each, which Is sufficient to generate 83 litres per minute. This plant was installed in view of preparedness against COVID pandemic. This unit of NTPC Dadri will help to tackle any untoward incident of Requirement of medical oxygen in township and vicinity.
In addition to this, Oxygen Plant at NTPC Bongaigaon has been inaugurated to tackle COVID 19 crisis . Under the Ministry of Power Initiative, NTPC Bongaigaon under its Corporate Social Responsibility inaugurated the oxygen boosting & bottling plant for its Pressure Swing Adsorption Technology  oxygen plant of total capacity of 15 Nm3/hr .The Oxygen plant was inauguration post the dedication of various Oxygen plants across the country by Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi under PM Care Fund.The oxygen plant set up as a preventive measure and care against COVID 19 was inaugurated at NTPC Bongaigaon Hospital premises by Dr. Jahiruddin Ahmed, Joint Director, Health Services, Kokrajhar, BTR, Assam in the presence of Shri Subrata Mandal, ED, NTPC Bongaigaon and corona warriors of the station. The corona warriors include the employees and medical staff of the power station who have contributed to setting of this plant and ensuring its completion.
With a life of 15 years, NTPC Bongaigaon’s oxygen plant has a piping network which is being provided for 40 beds at NTPC site hospital. Provision for back up supply from the cylinder banks is also being provided with automatic changeover from direct supply  to Cylinder bank and vice versa. The oxygen plant is equipped with Automatic Oxygen generation on demand Online purity indication and Audio-visual alarms Analog output for remote monitoring Mimic display for PSA functions meets the requirements as per Indian standard / ISO and other international standards.